Excavating astb loading device



G. C. CROSSLEY. EXCAVATING AND LOADING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 13] 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l- Patented May 9, 1922.

INVENTOR. f I

BY MTORNEY.

G. C. CROSSLEY.

EXCAVATING AND LOADING DEVICE.

. I INVENTOR.

' IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII 13, I920- 1 ,41 5 ,223, A Patented May 9, 1922.

ATTORNEY.

EXCAVATING AND LOADING DEVICE.

Application filed October 13, 1920.

T 0 all whom it may concern.

Be it known that Geo-Ben C. GRO'SSLEY, a

which is to provide a structure of light weight and simple and inexpensive construc tion for facilitating the digging or scooping earth or other matter or material and transporting it any desired distance withput danger of tripping the conveyor or los1ng any of the material therefrom, and for delivering the contents of the scoop into a car, vessel, wagon or other vehicle, or for piling the material at any desired place.

A further object is to provide mechanism of the character and for the purpose stated which shall be of such construction as to be capable of being readily transported from place to place, and set up quickly and easily for operation; the structure when properly set up or assembled being of rigid construction and not easily broken or deranged.

A further object of the invention is to provide means of this nature for greatly facilitating and expediting scooping and loading operations, which shall be used in lieu of steam shovels and other similar apparatus now generally employed for the purposes, and which may be maintained and operated at very low expense and with a minimum amount of manual labor.

With these general objects in view, together with others which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts, all as will be more fully described hereinafter, illustrated in the drawings and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings v I Fig. 1 is a side elevation of an excavating and loading mechanism constructed and arranged in accordance with the invention, the view illustrating a scoop or conveyor in the act of emptying its contents into a movable receptacle,

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the device shown in Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of a conventional form of scoop arranged for use in connection Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 9, 1922.

Serial No. 416,632.

with the improved excavating and loading mechanism,

Fig. 4C is a side elevation of the scoop in the position it will assume when being used for digging purposes,

F 1g. 5 is a similar view with the scoop in position to be drawn to the elevating and dumping mechanism,

Fig. 6 is a similar view of the scoop in position to be dumped,-and

Fig. 7 is a detail sectional view taken through'a part of the elevator device, and showing the arrangement of the cable guide rollers thereon.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, an elevating structure for the traveling scoop or conveyor is indicated generally at 8. This structure includes an inclined plane 9 and a horizontal or substantially horizontal plane 10; the latter plane being disposed above the surface of the ground and communicating at one end with the upper end of the inclined plane. These planes in the present instance each comprise tracks consisting of the spaced parallel rails 11, upon which the scoopor conveyor is adapted to slide. The outside longitudinal rails of each track are provided with upstanding flanges, as shown, to prevent the scoop sliding off the planes. The inclined plane is disposed at such angle as to permit of the ordinary excavating scoop being slid up the same without losing therefrom any of its contents, and thehorizontal plane is disposed above the ground surface a distance sufficient to permit of a vehicle being positioned. under one end thereof to receive the contents of the scoop when the latter is dumped. The vehicle, in the present in stance, includes a railway car indicated at 12, but it will be understood that a wagon, truck or other wheeled vehicle may be used, or that the elevating device may be arranged near the bank of a canal or other body of water so that the scoopmay be dumped into such conveyance as may be floated beneath the dumping end of the horizontal plane.

The elevating structure is of light construction so as to permit of the same being transported from place to place as required,

and includes a base 13 from which the upright supports 14 extend; these supports being connected at. their upper ends to the horizontal and inclined planes or trackways. The outer rails of the inclined tracks are turned or flared outwardly'at their lower ends as indicated at 15, to guide an oncoming scoop onto the track properly.

The dumping or discharge end of the horizontal track or plane is provided with a transversely disposed dumping roller 16, which may have its upper periphery disposed in substantially the same horizontal plane with the track 10, and upon which the loaded scoops are adapted to travel. In the present instance, the said upper periphery is disposed slightly above the plane of the said track.

The scoop or conveyor is indicated at 17 and is of the usual well known type,- being open at its forward end and having the handles 18 at its rear end to facilitate manual is arranged near the drum 25 to support the operation of the scoop. The scoop, is drawn forwardly onto the elevating structure by a rope or cable 18, which passes over the roller 16, guide roller 19 on the supporting structure 14, and is wound upon a drum 2O driven by a suitable power plant 21. This power plant may consist of a gas or other engine arranged upon the base of the elevating structure, or the cable may be drawn in any other suitable manner. The rearend of the scoop has a retracting cable 22 attached thereto for withdrawing the scoop from the ele vating and dumping structure when empty, and this cable extends rearwardly beyond the elevator and passes over a block or pulley 23 held by a stake or other support-24 driven into the ground. The cable 22, after passing over the block 23, passes forwardly and is attached to the drum 25 operated by the power plant 21. It will be understood, of course, that when the drum 20 is operating so as to draw the scoop up the elevating structure, the drum 25 will be paying out its cable 22, and the operationwill be reversed when the cable 22 is being wound upon the drum 25. A horizontally disposed-roller 26 cable 22, and this cable passes between a pair of upright guide rollers 27 disposed near the ends of the said roller 26; this arrangement insuring proper passage of the cable 22 to and from the drum 25.

In order that friction in the operation of the device may be reduced as much as possible, and to lengthen the life of the draft cables 18 and 22, support and guide rollers are arranged upon the structure of the elevator. A horizontally disposed supporting roller 28 is mounted upon the elevator struc ture at the juncture of the inclined and horizontal planes thereof, and intermediate the longitudinal edges thereof. This roller is disposed below the tracks of these planes and in position to support the cables 1822, and by arranging the roller below the surface of the tracks, the scoop willv be permitted to pass readily thereover without engaging the roller. Near the ends of the roller 28 and arranged in spaced relation are the vertlcally disposed guide rollers 29, the upper ends of which are also disposed below the tracks of the elevator so as to be free from obstructing the scoop as it travels upon'the elevator. These rollers 28-29 are positioned so as to receive, support and guide the cables 1822 which control the movements of the scoop, and insure proper feeding of the same at all times.

The scoop has attached to the sides thereof and preferably near the rear end of disposed parallel with the longitudinal edges of the scoop, and to be engaged by the said flexible members when the rear end of the scoop is tilted upwardly. These hookor stop members thus provide fulcrums for the draft chains of cables 30 when the scoop is operated for digging purposes, and forward movement of the draft cable when the scoop is tilted upwardly at its rear end will cause the sharp forward end of the scoop to enter the ground.

"In operation, the power plant is operated so as to retract the scoop and cause the latter to be positioned in the rear of the ground to be excavated or the matter to be moved and loaded. The operator of the scoop grasps the handles 18 thereof and raises the scoop to substantially the position shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings. The power plant is then caused to' operate so as to wind cable 18 upon the drum 20. This pull upon thecable causes the scoop to move forwardly and by reason of the point of direct pull upon the hook members 32, the forward or digging edge of the scoop will enter the ground. When the scoop is filled, the operator releases the handles 18 and the scoop is drawn toward the inclined plane of the elevator, being guided thereon by the flared. or outwardly turned lower ends of the outside rails of the inclined track. The scoop is drawn up the inclined track and passes to the horizon tal plane. Should a receiving vehiclenct be positioned beneath the end of the horizontal platform 10, the scoop willbe allowed to rest thereon. hen it is desired to dump the scoop, continued forward movement of the draft cable 18 will cause the scoop to move onto the dumping roller 16. As the scoop approaches the roller, the bail or draft bar 31 passes thereover, as does the flexible members 30; the latter passing from beneath, the hook stop or fulcrum members 82.

When the scoop becomes overbala'nced. on-

the dumping roller, the contents thereof will drop into the car or receptacle 12, and at this moment the drum 20 is halted. The power mechanism is then operated so as to unwind drum 20 and wind up-the cable 22, whereupon the scoop will be caused to travel back to initial position to be again filled in the manner described. The cable 22 is at all times tensioned so as to prevent the scoop tilting too far forwardly in the dumping operation. It will be understood that the tilting of the scoop on the dumping roller is slow and gradual so that the load will slowly or gradually slip therefrom and drop into the car or other vehicle, whereby wear and tear on the vehicle is saved. The use of the dumping roller arranged in the manner described provides again st any dead center connection between the point of pull on the draft cable and the connection of the cable with the scoop.

By arranging the device in the manner shown, it is obvious that a relative large amount of dirt or material may be moved and loaded into the vehicle in a comparatively short time. The stake 24 may be positioned any distance from the hoisting mechanism, and the arrangement of the cables and construction of the flared lower end of the inclined track permits of a wide range of the scoop, and it is obvious that after being filled the scoop will. be drawn forwardly and will be caused to be properly centered as regards the track before passing upwardly upon the same.

It will be understood that any preferred type of power mechanism for the device may be employed, and it will also be understood that proper clutch mechanism for the cable drums will be .provided to facilitate the operation. It will be further understood that the invention is not to be limited to the exact construction set forth, as variations in the mechanical structure and assemblage of parts may be resorted to if desired without departing from the invention as defined by the claims.

I claim 1. In an excavating and loading device, an inclined plane, a platform at the upper end of said plane, a cable passing over said platform and said plane, a horizontally disposed roller on said platform to support said cable, spaced vertically disposed rollers adjacent to said horizontal roller to limit the lateral movement of the cable, a conveyor attached to said cable, and means for drawing said cable.

2. In an excavatingand loading device, an inclined trackway, a conveyor adapted to travel upon said trackway, a cable for moving said conveyor, a transverse roller between the tracks of said trackway and below the plane thereof and adapted to support said cable, and spaced upright guide rollers adjacent said transverse roller and located'wholly below the plane of the trackway.

3. In an excavating and loading device, an inclined track, a horizontal track joining the inclined track, a roller disposed transversely between therails of said track at the juncture of the inclined and horizon t'al tracks and wholly below the plane of the latter, upright guide rollers near the ends of said transverse roller and arranged wholly below the plane of said tracks, a conveyor adapted to travelupon said tracks, and a draft cable resting upon said transverse roller and between said upright rollers and connected to said conveyor.

4. In an excavating and loading device, a platform, a roller on said platform, a conveyor adapted to travel upon said platform and said roller, a draft cable connected to said conveyor at a point rearwardly of the forward end of the conveyor, and a stop on the conveyor in advance of said point of connection and overlying said cable.

5. In an excavating and loading device, a platform, a roller on said platform, a scoop adapted to travel upon said platform and upon said roller, a draft cable connected to the sides of the scoop rearwardly of the longitudinal center of said scoop, and stops on the sides of said scoop in advance of the point of connection of the cable with the scoop and overlying the cable.

6. In .an excavating and loading device, a platform, a roller on said platform having its upper periphery disposed above the plane of the platform, a scoop adapted to travel upon said platform and to pass onto said roller, a draft cable passing over said platform and around said roller, a bail connected to said cable, flexible members connecting the bail with the sides of the scoop rearwardly of the longitudinal center of the scoop, hook members attached to the sides of the scoop near the front ends thereof and disposed above the said flexible members, means'for pulling said cable, and a return cable connected to the rear end of the scoop.

7. In an excavating and loading device, a platform, a roller on said platform, a conveyor adapted to travel on said platform and said roller, draft apparatus disposed below said roller, and a draft cable connected to said draft apparatus at one end, and attached at its other end to said conveyor at a point rearwardly of the forward end of the conveyor, the said cable passing over said roller.

8. In an excavating and loading device, a platform, a roller on said platform, a conveyor adapted to travel on said platform and said roller, a draft cable, a flexible bail connected to the sides of said conveyor rearwardly of the forward end thereof, the said cable being attached to said bail and passing around said roller, and stops on the sides of an inclined track, a platform communicating at one end with said track, a power source beyond said track and platform and below the plane of the latter, a flexible member connected to said power sourceat one end 10 and to the said conveyor at its opposite end,

the said member'being attached to said conupon said track and platform and downwardly below the rear edge of thelatter, and

stops on said conveyor arranged in advance of the point of connection of the flexible member therewith and overlying said flexible member to arrest upper movementof said member upon said conveyor.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

GEORGE CORLISS CROSSLEY. 

